Spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia | |
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Pasangan Perdana Menteri Malaysia | |
Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah |
The spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia (Malay: pasangan perdana menteri Malaysia) refers to the spouse of the head of government of Malaysia, the prime minister. Since independence in 1957, the title has been held by women, therefore the spouse is also known as the prime minister's wife. Some commentators have tried to style prime ministers' wives as "First Lady of Malaysia", similar to the style of First Lady used in republics, but this is not a recognised title.[1][2] To date, ten women have held the title of the spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia.
Role of the spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia
The spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and brings no salary. However, she does receive some allowance as recognition of her time and energy put into being the spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia.
As the spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or representing the prime minister. There is a strict taboo against the spouse holding outside employment while serving as spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia.
Following the Asian value system, where the woman is the guiding light and pillar of the household, the spouse also represents family values and is taken as a motherly figure.
The spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia frequently participates in humanitarian and charitable work. It became increasingly common for spouses of heads of state or government to select specific causes to promote, usually ones that are not politically divisive. It is common for the spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia to form organisations and hire a staff to support these activities.
List of spouses of prime ministers of Malaysia
# | Portrait | Spouse | Term start | Term end | Prime Minister (Coalition-Party) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sharifah Rodziah Barakbah | 31 August 1957 | 22 September 1970 | Tunku Abdul Rahman (Alliance-UMNO) | |
2 | Rahah Noah | 22 September 1970 | 14 January 1976 | Abdul Razak Hussein (Alliance-UMNO) (1970–1973) (BN-UMNO) (1973–1976) | |
3 | Suhaila Noah |
15 January 1976 | 16 July 1981 | Hussein Onn (BN-UMNO) | |
4 | Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali | 16 July 1981 | 30 October 2003 | Mahathir Mohamad (BN-UMNO) | |
5 | Endon Mahmood | 31 October 2003 | 20 October 2005 | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (BN-UMNO) | |
6 | Jeanne Abdullah | 9 June 2007 | 3 April 2009 | ||
7 | Rosmah Mansor | 3 April 2009 | 9 May 2018 | ) | |
8 | Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali | 10 May 2018 | 24 February 2020 | Mahathir Mohamad (PH-BERSATU) (Interim Prime Minister from 24 February 2020 to 1 March 2020) | |
9 | Noorainee Abdul Rahman | 1 March 2020 | 16 August 2021 | Muhyiddin Yassin (PN-BERSATU) (Caretaker Prime Minister from 16 August 2021 to 21 August 2021) | |
10 | Muhaini Zainal Abidin | 21 August 2021 | 24 November 2022 | Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-UMNO) | |
11 | Wan Azizah Wan Ismail MP for Bandar Tun Razak |
24 November 2022 | Incumbent | Anwar Ibrahim (PH-PKR) |
List of spouses of prime ministers of Malaysia by Age
# | Name | Born | Died | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali | 12 July 1926 | Alive | 97 years, 282 days |
2 | Rahah Noah | 11 June 1933 | 18 December 2020 | 87 years, 190 days |
3 | Suhaila Noah |
26 October 1931 | 4 October 2014 | 82 years, 343 days |
4 | Sharifah Rodziah Barakbah | 1920 | 12 March 2000 | 79 years 71 days to 80 years, 70 days |
5 | Noorainee Abdul Rahman |
21 April 1949 | Alive | 74 years, 364 days |
6 | Jeanne Abdullah | 29 July 1953 | Alive | 70 years, 265 days |
7 | Rosmah Mansor | 10 December 1951 | Alive | 72 years, 131 days |
8 | Endon Mahmood | 24 December 1940 | 20 October 2005 | 64 years, 300 days |
9 | Muhaini Zainal Abidin | 12 November 1961 | Alive | 61 years, 159 days |
Controversy
Controversy over the usage of the title "First Lady"
The
Before Najib's premiership, there had not been a precedent in
The issue was brought up only during the premiership of Najib when his wife widely used the title of "First Lady". Many quarters either argue that it is reserved for the
The issue didn't stop there as there was an obscure new unit established within the
See also
References
- ^ "debunks 'first lady' term used on wife". The Malaysian Insider. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ^ "'First lady' lower than Queen". The Sun. 15 June 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ^ https://archive.today/20121202133809/http://www.pmo.gov.my/?menu=page&page=1947 First Lady of Malaysia Unit webpage